Friday (Day before RACE DAY!)

Friday November 6^th (The Day Before the Day!)

This day was different from all the other days.

I am nervous and questioning everything. “You know, I did skip those three days on my training program . . . “ or, “Should I really be doing this? “ All the way to self-doubt.

It was going to be a long day.

I wake early and follow my Race Day routine. 3:30am have breakfast, double check my carry-in gear, rest. This all went smoothly.

My most awesomness friend Shannon Roddy was meeting me at my condo to help me out this morning . . . Little did she know – or little did we both know!

Roddy is driving my vehicle to the race site so that I can get in a 30 min ride and follow it up with a 20 min run after I drop off my bike.

When I pulled out of the condo in my bike I felt something was off. I was laboring to hold a simple 18mph. My heart rate was up to 175-180 and I was only holding 18mph???? Really? I thought that maybe I was in a strong head wind and once I turned around and headed back towards the bike drop off/transition that I would feel better.

Normally with no wind on a semi flat road (as I was on) if my heart rate is up to 180 I am rolling at 24 (plus) mph easy. Not today. And nothing changed on the turn around. As fact I actually SLOWED down and worked harder. It was about 11 miles to the transition area from where I was and about 2 miles into it a group of guys buzzed by me and they looked like they were barely working. WORRIED.

I jumped on their wheel, but I still couldn’t keep my heart rate below 180 but, we were doing 23 mph now.

We arrived to the bike drop off (the day before the race you drop your swim to bike and bike to run gear bags and you bike off at transition – You bring your special needs bags on race morning). I was winded and pissed.

I hopped off my bike and began rolling it towards the bike drop entrance and my rear wheel would not roll . . . WTHECK!!!!!!!!! Then it hit me!

Until Tuesday I was planning to ride my ZIPP sub 9 disc and my 1080 front TUBULAR (which means you use no tube and there is no metal or aluminum area on the wheel for a non tubular tire to “clinch” on. I decided to use my ZIPP 808 race wheels which are clinchers (MOST bikes will be clinchers this is where you have and open tire that you put the tube inside and then the tire clinches onto the rim of the wheel) The major difference in this case was – There is about one centimeter difference between the depth of the clincher and the tubular wheels and the clincher is actually larger.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

My tire was up against my frame rubbing to the point that the tire wouldn’t spin and with my weight on it THAT is why I could barely get my bike moving. It would be like trying to drive your car with the bake on.

Here is where the craziness kicked in . . .

The Ironman crew that does last minute repairs on bikes are awesome bar none. They can fix a bike like no bodies business. Where they are lacking is their time management skills. Roddy and I were told the bike would be ready in 45 minutes from when we dropped it off and 2 hours later the bike was ready. The good news is we had a lot to fill our time with like walking through the expo and then making motivational signs at the Janus tent.

This is where we spent most of the time . . . Roddy made me a kick ass sign and I made myself one too. Mine said – BOGGS You’re slow! BUT you’re not fast!!

Speaking of signs – My friends Nancy and Greg Cole made me a sign on Wednesday that said “2^nd Wave Starts here” I am still cracking up about that.

The tough part about the bike taking so long was that we were meeting several people from the Baton Rouge Triathlon club and family for lunch and we were going to be very late. I don’t like late. However, they fixed the bike and that was all that mattered since I would have to sit my fat butt on it for 112 miles the next day!

Lunch was great. I sat next to my Momma who drove over from New Orleans and took precious time off from work to be there. She is awesome and LOVES her some Melaina (my daughter). I noticed something funny, we eat the same things . . . At more than on meal when we order we order the same thing or before we order we talk about what we are going to order and usually I am thinking about the same things she is. We had lunch at Sweet Basils. Very good lunch place.

Now it was relax and rest time.

I had an oven pizza in the frig and ate it about 4pm. Then read on my kindle until about 7p before I decided I could go to sleep. I took my shower and lay in bed.

AND LAY IN BED.

AND . . . . You get the point.

It is now close to 10p and I decided to visualize myself sleeping . . .